Netflix Star ‘Terribly Disappointed' by Show's Shocking Cancellation

Nobody is more surprised about Netflix's cancellation of The Boroughs than one of its own stars.

Earlier this week, the streamer opted not to renew the sci-fi series for a second series, despite it being one of the most-watched and well-reviewed shows on the platform. The Boroughs has remained in the Top 10 of Netflix's most-streamed shows since its May 21 debut, hitting the #1 spot in its second full week of release.

Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews and executive produced by The Duffer Brothers-the team behind Stranger Things-The Boroughs revolved around a mysterious threat at a retirement community in New Mexico.

The show had a pretty stellar cast, including Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, and Clarke Peters.

Star Reacts to Show's Cancellation

Davis spoke out about the show's shocking cancellation while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter.

"Fortunately, the producers, who became our dear, dear friends, were able to tell us before the news came out, and we're all terribly disappointed," she shared. "Honestly, I don't know what happened. I think it's probably rare for a show to not get picked up and to have it announced that it's not being picked up while it's still in the top 10."

"We didn't expect that," added Davis. "But the creators told us from the beginning that the series was not going to have a cliffhanger ending to the first season, that someone had advised them, ‘Make it its own thing. And if you come back to do another year, make that its own thing.' And we really did. There's a tiny hint at the end that maybe everything isn't fixed, but it is a complete story. And if we had made it as a limited series, then it would've been a big hit and everybody would be happy."

Saying everyone involved in the series "so fell in love with each other," Davis said they all wanted to keep working together. She added that she hasn't heard whether it's possible for Paramount to pick up the show-now that the Duffer Brothers inked a new deal with them-but would jump at the chance to return, if possible.

Why Was ‘The Boroughs' Cancelled?

No official reason has been given to why the show was axed after just one season, especially with it still pulling in strong viewership numbers.

The Hollywood Reporter's Tom Maglio, however, said the production cost and the Duffers' deal with Paramount could have been factors.

"Netflix weighs viewership directly against cost when making pickup and cancellation decisions, and though The Boroughs did well, it wasn't quite Wednesday," Maglio wrote for THR.

Sources also told him the relationship between Netflix and the Duffers has been "tough" since they "embarrassed" the streamer by jumping ship.

However, other sources said it was "simply a business decision" and the Duffers still have "multiple" projects in development at Netflix, including their animated Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 series.

As for the timing of the cancellation, June 15 was the deadline to extend the deals for the show's cast. They decided against doing that, effectively putting an end to the series.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 1:21 PM.